American heroines

The magnificent Fun Home brought Alison Bechdel's considerable talents to the world's attention in 2006, but she'd developed a fiercely dedicated following as far back as 1987 with Dykes to Watch Out For - one of the most successful and long-lasting queer comic strips. Culling the best strips from the 11 existing US collections, this enjoyable compendium (which according to Bechdel is "half op-ed column, half endless, serialised Victorian novel") follows the lives, loves and politics of a diverse group of (mostly lesbian) characters, who bitingly comment on the issues of the day and, by extension, the ever-changing lesbian culture. It's a fine showcase of Bechdel as both an artist and a writer.